Putting hole



April 17, 1956 D ls I 2,742,293

PUTTING HOLE Filed April 1, 1955 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. UlS M. DAVIS ATTORNEYS PUTTING HGLE Louis M. Davis, cisterns,Ohio Application April 1, 1955, Serial No. 498,667

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-477) The present invention relates to a target orhole" for putting practice and for miniature golf sets for home use.

An object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive targetwhich simulates as closely as possible an actual hole.

must brush by these fingers to get either in or out of the hole.

This arrangement avoids ramps or other inclined surfaces but does notsatisfactorily duplicate the effect of an actual hole because whether aball rolls completely over an actual hole or drops in the hole dependson the balls velocity, but the ball is admitted over the rim of the holein the incoming directionwithout any resistance whatsoever.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a structure whichis easy to enter and harder to leave, no matter what direction it isapproached by the ball, thus simulating the necessity of approaching areal hole at low speed. A particular object of the invention is toaccomplish this without any springs or spring-loaded members or otherelaborate and costly devices.

Still another object of the invention is'to further refine the aboveimprovements by approximating the rim-riding or cornering effect of anactual hole, which effect reduces the chances of sinking a ball whichenters tangentially ratherthan centrally.

' These and other objects and-advantages of the inven- Ufl tfid tesPatent f fl ber 14,- pteferazbly comprises a single. piece of lightsheet metal or other; suitable material which, is bent. ly outwardly asalong; a line 15' and which has a pair 7 tion will be readily understoodfrom the following del scription of the presently preferred specificembodiment of the invention.

-In the drawings:

7 Figure 1 is an isometric view' of a device embodying the invention. 1

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1, withone part removed for greater clarity. Al-

ternate positions of certain parts are shown in phantom view. The deviceis shown in association with a golf ball, successive positions of whichare also shown in phantom view.

Figure 3 is a detail isometric view of a certain portion .of thestructure shown in Figures 1 and 2.

The illustrated device comprises a plurality of upright legs 10terminating at their tops in stubby transverse T- stubs 11. The legs 10are joined by a ring 12 which is welded orbrazed or otherwise suitablyfastened to the legs at the points 13.

The adjacent halves of each adjacent pair of T-stubs 11 constitute apair of fixed hinge pins onwhich is supported one of a plurality ofhinging members 14. Each ICC.

of side flanges 16- in. each of which formed a generally vertlcall-yextending short slotl? ofasufficient size to e it with a loose andsloppy vfit. an; associated hinge pin 11. The lower edge of each hingingmember 14 is spaced above floor level a distance slightly less than golfball height.

Each'hinging member 14 can swing inwardly freely about its associatedpair of hinge pins. Outward swinging movement is limited, however, byengagement of the edges of the associated pair of side flanges 16 withthe ring 12, the member 14 being preferably so shaped and proportionedthat this engagement occurs before any other portion of the member 14,such as the gable or fold line 15, engages the ring 12.

Thus, as shown in Figure 2, a ball may approach the device as indicatedat A. As the ball contacts the hing-.

The ball continues through the hole as shown in its solid line positionC. As it contacts the hinging member 14 on the outgoing side, thismember starts to swing outwardly. When the ball reaches the position D,the hinging member 14 on the outgoing'side is in the illustrated phantomposition, at which point the flanges 16 associated with this member 14contact the ring 12. The member 14 is then wedged upwardly by theforward upper portion of the ball, the slots 17 accommodating this liftaing of the member 14 by the ball. 'If the momentum of the ball issuflicient, the member 14 will be lifted completely out of the way, andthe ball 14 will pass through the fhole as indicated at E, the hingingmember returning to normal position.

The outwardly bent shape'of the hinging members 14 accentuates themechanical advantage which the ball has when striking these members froman angle rather than head on. Thus, if the ball strikes the outgoinghinging member after having passed through a relatively short chord ofthe hole, the ball will require less momentum to escape than if it hadstruck the-hinging memberhead on. This approximates the rim-riding orcornering effect of an actual hole in which a tangentially-entering ballis less likely to sink than a centrally-entering ball.

It will be seen that the frame of the device comprising the legs 10,T-stubs 11 and ring 12 is a simple assembly. The remaining partscomprise the identical hinging members 14. Final assembly comprisesmerely slightly folding the hinging members, which maybe slightlyresilient,

to allow the flanges 16 to'be slipped into slot-engaged hinging movementof each of said elements about a hori ,zontal axis into and out of saidpolygon, said elements depending from said hinge means, support meansfor said hinge means, said elements and said support means being soproportioned that when said support means is placed on a level surfacethe lower edges'of said elements are spaced slightly less than golf ballheight above said sur- Patented Apr. 11, 1956, a

2,742,293 I v 3 e 4 face, means for limiting outward swinging movementof 2. A device according to claim 1 in which each of said said elementsat a point before the lower edges of said elements is bent outwardly-atcentral portions across its elements exceed golf ball height above saidsurface, said width.

hinge means including means for accommodating slight upward movement of.said elements relative to said sup- 5 References Cited in the file ofthis P port means to a point where the lower edges of said ele- UNITEDSTATES PATENTS ments exceed golf ball height above said surface, wherebya golf ball is easily admitted to the projection of said M01303 Lueder fJune 1914 polygon on said surface but must wedgmgly 11ft one of saldFOREIGN PATENTS hinging elements in order to leave the area of saidprojec- 10 tion, 14,649 Great Brita n Aug. 10, 1916

